Health and Fitness - Meditation For Beginners

By Brue Baker

Recently, as more people in the West are becoming aware of the importance
of health and fitness, they are practicing Eastern traditions like Yoga and Tai Chi, which emphasize meditation.
Once they learn how to meditate they are discovering the incredible health and fitness benefits meditation
provides.

The health and fitness benefits of meditation include:
* Energy alignment of the entire body
* Internal cleansing of the body
* Improvement in health of major organs
* Less stress/anxiety
* Clear mind
* More oxygen to the cells
* More energy
* Positive mood

The most important reason to meditate is because it just makes you feel better. And if you don't understand
what feeling good will do for you, you have missed the point of life.

Enlighten yourself

Beyond the health and fitness benefits of meditation the real reason for meditating is to enlighten
yourself. You do this by blending with your soul.

You don't have to call it a "soul" if you don't like that word, call it whatever you want. All that is
important is that you realize there is an energy force that is separate from your body that keeps you alive in
your body.

This energy source is a much greater, and broader part of you than you can begin to comprehend conceptually,
but it is only important to acknowledge that it exists. You can get in touch with it through meditation.

Meditation, through breathing techniques, will teach you how to quiet your thinking mind and concentrate
your attention on your inner-being. When you are able to do so (as with anything this takes consistent
practice) you will feel the amazing benefits of meditation. I can't really describe the peaceful, positive
feeling of meditation in words, you really have to experience it for yourself.

How To Learn The Techniques

There are endless meditation instruction books, CD's and videos available on the internet to teach you how
to meditate. Amazon has some great material if you just type in the keyword phrase "meditation."

You tube also has many free instructional videos to teach you many different meditation techniques as well
as Yoga and Tai Chi. You can also enroll in Yoga, Tai Chi, or meditation classes in your local area.

Other Things to Help You

The environment you are in can be a vital aspect of your meditation. When you get good at meditating you can
do it anywhere anytime, but when you start, and for ideal conditions, it is good to have a very relaxing place
to be.

Many people even make there own meditation area or room in their home. Others always meditate out in nature.
Do whatever you need to do to find a place where you can relax.

Then it is sometimes best to use either a CD or DVD of guided meditation with someone instructing you, or to
pick out music that relaxes you. It is very beneficial to be able to meditate in silence, but many find it much
more difficult than with music or an instructor.